Can E-Liquids Damage E-Cigarette Hardware?

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Posted byadmin15/01/20160 Comment(s)

An entire e-cigarette unit can be basically divided into two simple components. You have the e-cigarette hardware, which comprises of a few different pieces depending on how much you have modified the e-cigarette. On the other hand, you have the e-liquid or e-juice, which is contained within the tank. The e-liquid or the e-juice is the special substance which makes the e-cigarette unique. If you take the e-liquid out of the e-cigarette, it is no longer going to be an e-cigarette. Separating the e-liquid from the e-cigarette is the same as separating the tobacco from the cigarette paper roll. Once the tobacco is removed, the cigarette is nothing more than a rolled up piece of paper.

Why Is It Important for the E-Liquid to Not React with the Hardware Material?

Given the connection between the e-cigarette and the e-liquid, it is important for the juice and the hardware to co-exist in harmony. In other words, the onus is one the manufacturers to make sure that the e-cigarette hardware is being designed with a material that is not affected by the chemicals contained within the e-liquid. The normal list of ingredients of an e-liquid includes nicotine, water, propylene glycol (or vegetable glycerine) and flavouring. None of these four substances should have any effect on the material with which the e-cigarette hardware is made. In particular, the tank which contains the e-liquid, should be unscathed by the juice for an indefinite period of time. If the liquid and the hardware react in any way, there is going to be cross contamination between the components.

Such kind of contamination can turn a pleasant vaping experience into an extremely bitter one. Worse still, the contamination can pave the path for health complications that may range from mild to severe depending on the extent of the contamination. With so much negative information about e-cigarettes being in circulation, the last thing the vaping community needs is another excuse for the critics to vilify e-cigarettes and e-liquids.

Certain E-Liquid Flavourings React With Plastic Tanks

The e-cigarette industry has its fair share of flaws. One of those flaws, unfortunately, is the one that deals with the kind cross contamination that we have just mentioned. You will be surprised to know that there are e-liquids out there in the market that can actually contaminate the tank of your e-cigarette hardware. As mentioned before, there are four basic ingredients that constitute e-liquids. The nicotine, propylene glycol (or vegetable glycerine) and water do not affect the tank in any way. However, the flavouring can be a problem as far as cross contamination is concerned. Flavourings are the only variable ingredient of an e-liquid. This means that it is up to the manufacturers to decide what they are going to put inside the flavourings. Different combinations of chemicals are used to create a variety of flavours for the vaping consumers to enjoy.

Cracked Polycarbonate Tanks

According to the discovery of certain e-liquid companies, the chemicals inside the flavouring of e-liquids can react with the polycarbonate material that is used to create the plastic tanks in e-cigarettes. The reaction between the chemicals in the e-liquid and the polycarbonate in the plastic tank leads to an enzyme reaction. This enzyme reaction is extremely detrimental to the hardware of the e-cigarette as it causes parts of the tank to crack and even melt. A cracked tank can be a huge problem for a vaper. Anybody who has had a cracked tank will tell you how much of a messy ordeal it is and how difficult it is to get the cracked tank fixed. Repairing a cracked tank can turn out to be quite costly. As a matter of fact, some people are simply reluctant to fix that tank and re-use it. This compels them to look for a new e-cigarette.

What Manufacturers Are Recommending

Because of this complication with the polycarbonate tank, some of the e-liquid manufacturers are actually recommending their consumers to use only a pyrex tank or a glass clearomizer. According to their research, the pyrex tank or the glass clearomizer will not be affected by the reactive chemicals inside the e-liquid flavouring. Some companies have decided to paste warning labels on their products, stating that the use of their e-liquids can crack e-cigarette tanks. Just because there is a label on the product does not mean that your tank will crack. Not everyone has to deal with the messy situation of having their tank cracked. The label simply serves as a disclaimer.

Does the Heat Cause the Cracking?

There are theories that suggest that the heat, and not the e-liquid flavouring, is responsible for the tanks cracking. Both the theories should be taken into consideration as it is quite likely that there is some truth to both of them. The plastic tank, the acidic e-liquid and the heat all combined together makes the tank more vulnerable to crack or melt. The best option is to be mindful about the e-liquids you choose and switch over to a pyrex tank if you can.